Author 




Title 



Class L-B-3.2L)i 

Book lNA.M-3..... 



Imprint 



16—27X79-1 GPO 



■y^'m 



IMPROVEMENT 



Rural School Houses and Grounds 



900-1906 



BY 

R. D. W. CONNOR 

Department of Education 



"The people have the eight to the peivilege 
oe education, and it is the duty of the state 
to guaed and maintain that eight." — bui of 
Rights in Constitution of North Carolina. 



RALEIGH: 

Office State Superintendent op Public Instruction 
1907 



"The public free schools are the colleges of the people ; they are 
the nurseries of freedom ; their establishment and efficiency are 
the paramount duty of a republic. The education of children is 
the most legitimate object of taxation." — J . L. M. Gurry. 



"Ignorance is either a good thing for a community or it is a 
bad thing. The means with which to banish ignorance can be 
"voted into a community or they can be voted out. A good school- 
house, a good teacher, and a good library are the deadliest foes 
ignorance has. They can be voted into an5^ community in North 
Carolina." — Charles L. Coon. 



"The taxation that goes for the upbuilding of the public schools 
is the very freedom and liberty of the people." — Charles B. Ay- 
cocZv. 



"It has been too common a political doctrine that the best gov- 
ernment is that which levies the smallest taxes. The future will 
modify that doctrine and teach that liberal taxation, fairly levied 
and properly applied, is the chief mark of a civilized people. The 
savage pays no tax." — Charles D. Mclver. 



IMPROVEMENT 



Rural School Houses and Grounds 



1900-1906 



"A GOOD SCHOOL-HOUSE IN A DISTEICT BEGETS A 
SPIEIT OF SELF-RELIANCE THAT WILL HAVE AN ELE- 
VATING INFLUENCE ON INTELLECTUAL AND SOCIAL 

LIFE." — Joseph E. Robmson, Chairman of the 
Board of Education of Wayne Countif, N. C. 



ISSUED PROM THE' OFFICE OF -f/vjL 

Superintendent of Public Instruction of i North Carolina) 

' KALEIGH. ^ 



/ "10 



•^ \ 








ALLIANCE, PAMLICO COUNTY (OLD). 




ALLIANCE, PAMLICO COUNTY (nEw). 

^^jy 13 1907 - 
D' OF D. 







IMPROVEMENT OF SCHOOL-HOUSES AND GROUNDS. 



THE CHARACTER OF THE SCHOOL-HOUSE. 

Since 1900 no phase of educational activity has received greater 
attention, or made more progress, in North Carolina than the 
physical equipment of public schools. State Superintendent J. Y. 
Joyner struck the keynote of the problem when he wrote in his 
report to the Governor in 1902 : 

"At the very foundation of every successful school system lies 
the practical problem of necessary phj^sical equipment in houses, 
furniture, and grounds. * * * This question of the character 
of our public school houses is a far more serious one than many 
people think. Nobody has any respect for anything that is not 
respectable. A respectable school-house, then, is not only neces- 
sary for conducting successfully the business of public education, 
but is absolutely essential for commanding the respect of the com- 
munity for that business. The character of the business must to 
some extent determine the character of the place of business. 

"What, then, should be the character of these public school 
houses where the business of educating nine out of ten of the 
State's children for citizenship and social service is carried on? 
* =:= * Within, shall it be a hovel or a home, a place of beauty 
or a place of ugliness, a place of comfort or a place of discomfort, 
a place of cleanness or a place of uncleanness? Without, shall the 
grass grow green, and the sun shine bright, and the flowers bloom, 
and the birds sing, and the trees wave their long arms, or shall it 
be bleak and barren, where Nature, God's great teacher, never 
whispers to the children her sweet messages of peace and love and 
beauty from the Master?" 





A 




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KITTRELL, VANCE COUNTY (oLD). 




KITTKELL, VANCE COUNTY (nEW). 



PUBLIC SCHOOL PROPERTY IN 1900. 

The following table will give some idea of the condition of 
public school property in North Carolina in 1900 : 

Rural school property for white race $ 850,250 

Average per school 170 

Rural school property for negro race 265,000 

Average per school 120 

Rural school property for the State 1,115,250 

Average per school 157 

City school property for white race 485,000 

Average per school 12,125 

City school property for negro race 95,000 

Average per school 3,392 

City school property for the State 580,000 

Average per school 8,529 

PUBLIC SCHOOL PROPERTY IN 1905. 

The following table shows the conditions six years later : 

Rural school property for white race $1,610,095 

Average per school 319 

Rural school property for negro race 299,859 

Average per school 136 

Rural school property for the State 1,909,954 

Average per school 261 

City school property for white race 1,589,500 

Average per school 13,029 

City school property for negro race 225,600 

Average per school 3,177 

City school property for the State 1,815,100 

Average per school 9,404 



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ROPER PUBLIC SCHOOL, WASHINGTON COUNTY. 




PLEASANT HILL, HENDERSON COUNTY (OLD). 



SIX YEARS' PROGRESS. 

From the above tables it will be seen that during the past six 
years the value of the rural school property for the white race 
has been increased by $759,845, an increase of 89.3 per cent. The 
rural school property for the negro race within the same time has 
been increased $.34,859, which is an increase of 13.1 per cent. The 
total increase in the rural school property of the State has been, 
therefore, $794,704, an increase of 71.2 per cent. 

The showing for the cities of the State is even better than this ; 
in fact, it is nothing short of revolutionarj'. Dviring the past six 
years the increase in the value of city school property for the 
white race has been $1,104,500, an increase of 227.7 per cent. The 
increase in the city school property for the negro race during this 
period has been $130,600, or 137.4 per cent. The total city school 
property has increased, therefore, $1,2.35,100, an increase of 212.9 
per cent. 

In 1900 the total valuation of the school property for the white 
race, both rural and city, was $1,.335,250 ; in 1906 this property 
was valued at $3,199,595. This shows an increase of $1,864,345, 
or 139.5 per cent. In 1900 the total valuation of the school prop- 
erty for the negro race, both rural and city, was $360,000 ; in 1906 
this property was valued at $.525,459, thus showing an increase of 
$165,459, or 45.9 per cent. The total value of the public school 
property of the State, for both races, rural and city, in 1900 was 
$1,695,250; in 1906 it was $3,725,054, showing an increase of 
$2,029,804, or 119.7 per cent. The amount of interest which these 
figures indicate in educational progress in the State can be better 
appreciated when it is recalled that while the value of the school 
propei'ty increased during this period 119.7 per cent., the assessed 
valuation of the taxable property in the State .increased only 54.1 
per cent. 



WHAT THESE FIGURES MEAN. 

But what do those figures means? Read alone, they are but dead 
facts. They show interest, indeed, in school-house improvement, 
but without interpretation they do not reveal the great revolution 
that they stand for in hundreds of backwoods districts. Inter- 
preted, they mean — 

That hundreds of dilapidated hovels — types of a past era — have 
succumbed to the spirit of progress and disappeared before the 
advent of the modern school-house ; 

That exteriors, the ugliness of which was hurtful to the eyes, 
have been brightened with new coats of paint; 

That rough benches without backs or rests for the arms have 
given place to comfortable desks ; 

That blackboards, maps, charts and other equipment have been 
many times multiplied ; 

That floors have been scrubbed, stoves polished, walls cleaned, 
windows washed, shades and curtains hung ; 

That pictures of great men and events, reproductions of great 
masterpieces, have been hung by the thousands; 

That sixteen hundred libraries containing 150,000 volumes of 
the world's choicest classics have been placed within reach of 
14.5,000 children; 

That stumps have been dug up by the thousands, trees trimmed, 
playgrounds laid off, and hundreds of school grounds brightened 
and beautified with flowers and grass of the children's own plant- 
ing; 

That teachers and pupils liave been encouraged and stimulated 
to a new and better life in their school homes ; 

That communities hitherto hostile or indifferent to public educa- 
tion have been aroused to interest in the community's school and 
the community's children ; 

That personal whims and fancies have been subordinated to the 
general welfare and personal advantages surrendered for the gen- 
eral good ; 

That, finally, local prejudices and neighborhood quarrels have 
withered away in the face of a general pride in the people's 
schools, and have died well-merited deaths. 

And all of this together means that in many a rural school 
district where now the grass grows green, the sun shines bright, 
the flowers bloom, the birds sing, and the trees wave their long 
arms, Nature, God's great teacher, comes to whisper to the 
children her sweet messages of peace and love and beauty from 
the Master. 




<■> I 




i . 



SNOW HILL, GREENE COUNTY (oLd). 




SNOW HILL, GREENE COUNTY (nEW). 



11 



THE LOAN FUND FOR BUILDING SCHOOL-HOUSES. 

One of tJbe most important factors in this development has been 
the "Loan FniAd" for building and improving school-houses. This 
plan is unique and has been so successful that a full explanation 
is here given. 

In 1902 the State Board of Education had to its credit $194,159.18 
derived from the sale of public lands. The annual interest on this 
fund, amounting to some $2,000, was distributed per capita to the 
counties for school pui-poses. Such a method of distribution was 
little less than a waste of the fund, since the amount was too 
small to be permanently felt in increasing or improving school 
facilities. Accordingly, upon the recommendation of Superin- 
tendent Joyner, the General Assembly of 1903 set aside this entire 
fund, together with all other funds that may hereafter be derived 
from the sale of public lands, as a permanent loan fund to be used 
by the State Board of Education, under such rules and regulations 
as the Board may adopt, for building and improA'ing public school 
houses. 

"Under the provisions of the act, these loans are made by 
the State Board of Education to the County Board of Education, 
payable in ten annual instalments, bearing Interest at four per 
cent., evidenced by the note of the County Board of Education, 
signed by the Chairman and Secretary thereof, and deposited with 
the State Treasurer. The loans to the school districts are made 
by the County Board of Education. The County Board of Educa- 
tion is directed to set apart out of the school funds at the Jan- 
uary meeting a sufficient amount tO' pay the annual instalment 
and interest falling due on the succeeding tenth day of February. 
The payment of these loans to the State Board of Education is 
secured by making the loan a lien upon the total school funds 
of the county, in whatsoever hands such funds may be, and by 
further authorizing the State Treasurer, if necessary, to deduct 
a sufficient amount for the payment of any annual instalment due 
by any county out of any fund due any county from any special 
State appropriation for public schools, and by also authorizing him 
to bring action against the County Board of Education, the tax 
collector, or any person or persons in whose possession may be any 
part of the school fund of the county. The loan made by the 
County Board of Education to any district is secured by author- 
izing the County Board of Education to deduct the amount of 



13 

the annual instalment and interest due by^such district from the 
apportionment to that district unless the district provides in some 
other way for its payment. The act, therefore, absolutely secures 
from loss both the State Board of Education and the County Board 
of Education." 

Under the rules adopted by the State Board of Education, only 
one-half of the cost of new school-houses and grounds or of the im- 
provement of old school-houses is lent to any county for any dis- 
trict. No loan is made to any district with less than sixty-five 
children of school age unless satisfactory evidence is furnished 
that such district is absolutely necessary on account of the sparsity 
of population or the existence of insurmountable natural barriers. 
Preference is given — 

a. To rural districts or towns of less than a thousand inhabit- 
ants where the needs are greatest. 

&. To rural districts or towns of less than one thousand inhabit- 
ants supporting their schools by local taxation. 

c. To districts helping themselves by private subscription. 

fl. To large districts formed by consolidation of small districts. 

All public school houses in North Carolina are required to be 
constructed strictly in accordance with plans approved by the 
State Superintendent of Public Instruction. No loans are made 
for any house which does not comply with this requirement, nor 
to any rural district or small town for any house costing less than 
$250. 



HOW THE LOAN FUND HAS BEEN USED. 

The following table will show how this loan fund has been used : 

Total amount loaned to counties $270,826 

JSTumber of coviuties to which loans have been 

made 81 

(T;hei'e are 97 counties in the State.) 

Number of districts that have been aided 635 

Number of children in those districts 87,902 

Number of new houses built with this aid 612 

Value of these new houses 662,429 

Value of the old houses that were displaced 72,416 

Number of districts aided which had no houses . . . 301 

Number of districts aided having houses worth 

less than $50 '. 184 

The above table shows that by lending to the counties $270,826 
the State has secured school property valued at $662,429, or 
nearly two and one-half times as much as the amount loaned. 
School-houses valued at $72,436 have been replaced by houses 
valued at more than nine times that sum, giving the benefits of 
good, comfortable and properly built houses to 87,902 children. 
In 612 of the 635 districts to which loans have been made new 
houses have been erected, nearly half of which, 301, had no house 
at all, and 184 of which had huts valued at less than $50. Each 
year adds to the abilitj' of the "Loan Fund" to do good, since it 
increases by four per cent, annually, and this interest, together 
with one-tenth of the amoimt loaned, becomes available every 
year for building purposes. The fund now amounts to $317,113, 
having grown to this amount since 1903 from $194,159.18. It 
should also be said that though four annual instalments with 
interest have fallen due, every cent has been promptly paid by the 
counties. 



17 



WOMAN'S ASSOCIATION FOR THE BETTERiViENT OF 
PUBLIC SCHOOL HOUSES. 

A second important factor of this scliool-liouse improveuient 
is tlie Woman's Association for the Betterment of Public School 
Houses in North Carolina. This association was organized in 
the spring of 1902. Its membership is limited, as its name im- 
plies, to women, and any public-spirited woman in North Carolina 
is eligible for membership. 

The organization is three-fold: (1) The State Association; (2) 
The County Associations; (3) The District Associations. When 
the last reports were received associations had been formed in 
fifty-four of the ninety-seven counties and in nearly two hundred 
rural public school districts. 

The purposes of the association are : ( 1 ) To interest the patrons 
of the public schools in the condition of the houses in which their 
children spend so much of their time; (2) to make the school- 
house the center of the social life in the community in which it 
is located; (3) to make the school-house the model of cleanliness 
and beauty for each home therein represented ; (4) to cultivate in 
the children of the State a love for the beautiful. 

The work of the association is best shown in the results as 
seen in a few of the typical counties in which it has worked. 
Through the influence of the association during its first year — 

In Caldwell County eight schools obtained libraries ; 

In Cleveland County $150 was raised by private subscription for 
improvements, 12 schools obtained libraries and 12 school-houses 
were improved, increasing in value from $1,800 to $5,000 ; 

In Columbus County 30 schools were improved and $50 was 
raised for pictures ; 

In Cumberland County every rm-al public school was reached, 
and $75 raised for pictures, books, etc. ; 

In Dare County a large number of pictures were hung, $50 spent 
for various items of improvements and $150 for libraries ; 

In Greene County 23 schools were improved, $115 raised for 
general work and $50 for libraries. 

In Henderson County every woman teacher in the county was a 
member of the association, every school in the county was im- 
proved, and $60 raised for libraries ; 

In Madison County $11.45 was raised for pictures, $55 for libra- 
ries and $2.50 for other improvements ; 



19 

In Rockingham County 72 schools were reciched, .$50 raised for 
pictures, $165 for libraries, and $25 for other improvements ; 12 
libraries were established and 500 pictures hung ; 

In Surry Comity every school was reached, 23 new houses were 
built, increasing the valuation of the school property in these dis- 
tricts from $1,200 to $5,750 ; ^ 

In Wayne County 43 schools were reached, $75 spent for pict- 
ures, 206 framed pictures hung, $461 raised for libraries and 41 
libraries established, and $120 raised for other improvements. 

Throughout the State the increase in the valuation of school 
property through the influence of the association was $48,600. 
This does not include the very many times greater increase at the 
expense of the State and counties that may be traced directly 
to the influence of the Woman's Betterment Association. It should 
also be remembered that in every county in which a dollar was 
raised by private subscription for libraries up to $60, the county 
and State each added $60. 

But the dollar-mark cannot indicate the amazing amount of 
good that the association has done in increasing public interest, 
in bringing home to the people the fact that the school-house is a 
public institution for the condition of which every individual in 
the district is responsible, and in the development of community 
effort as distinguished from the "raw individualism" which has 
heretofore characterized the life of the South. 




WILLIAMSBURG, ROCKINGHAM COUNTY (old). 











n^ [^-^ 




, 



WILLIAMSBURG, ROCKINGHAM COUNTY (NEW). 



"At that hour came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who, 

THEN, IS greatest IN THE KINGDOM OF HeAVEN? AND He CALLED 
A LITTLE CHILD AND SET HIM IN THE MIDST OF THEM." 

"It IS NOT THE WILL OF YOUR FATHER WHICH IS IN HeAVEN THAT 
ONE OF THESE LITTLE ONES SHOULD PERISH." 

"Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto 

ONE OF THE LEAST OF THESE My BRETHREN, YOU HAVE DONE IT 

unto Me." 



"It undoubtedly appears cheaper to neglect the aged, the 

FEEBLE, the INFIRM, THE DEFECTIVE, TO FORGET THE CHILDREN OF 
THIS generation; but the man WHO DOES IT IS CURSED OF GOD, 

AND THE State that permits it is certain of destruction. There 

are people ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH WHO TAKE NO CARE OF THE 
WEAK AND INFIRM, WHO CARE NAUGHT FOR THEIR CHILDREN AND PRO- 
VIDE ONLY FOR THE GRATIFICATION OP THEIR OWN DESIRES ; BUT THESE 
PEOPLE NEITHER WEAR CLOTHES NOR DWELL IN HOUSES. ThEY 
LEAVE God OUT OF CONSIDERATION IN THEIR ESTIMATE OF LIFE, AND 

ARE KNOWN TO US AS SAVAGES." — Charles B, AycocJc. 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 

029 452 322 4 



